Two days after his sudden death, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) desk on the Senate floor sat conspicuously empty, save for one item: a glass vase filled with white roses.
Desk of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/8mcumDh5Eg
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2026
One by one, Graham’s colleagues took the floor and offered their tributes to the late South Carolina senator, who died late Saturday after what the medical examiner’s office revealed was an aortic dissection resulting from cardiovascular disease.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) teared up as he spoke, praising his friend and colleague as he said of Graham, “I know that I’m not the only one who finds it difficult to imagine the Senate without Lindsey Graham … There was no bigger believer in America’s role in the world. He was confident that the United States could be a force for good, and he gave everything he had to ensuring that we would be.”
Senate Majority Leader @LeaderJohnThune tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham: “There was no bigger believer in America’s role in the world.” pic.twitter.com/o1mjVcPB6b
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2026
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) added, “It’s a sad day for all of us in the Senate … Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress.”
Sen. @ChuckGrassley tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham: “It’s a sad day for all of us in the Senate…Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress.” pic.twitter.com/rMJqnrPjpB
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2026
Senate Chaplain Barry Black opened the session with prayer, saying, “Eternal God, as flags fly at half-staff throughout our nation to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, we give you thanks to you for his life and for his years of public service. Lord, we remember with gratitude his commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him and the many ways he sought to serve the people of this country.”
U.S. Senate @Chaplain_Black: “Eternal God, as flags fly at half-staff throughout our nation to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, we give you thanks to you for his life and for his years of public service.” pic.twitter.com/KdVWZQDKMX
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2026
In the hallway outside Graham’s office, a makeshift memorial quickly appeared and began to grow as people left flowers and Post-it notes outside the door.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said on his podcast, “The Verdict,” that Graham had left a vacancy that would be impossible to fill.
“Who will fill the void? Who will fill Lindsey Graham’s shoes?” Cruz asked. “My answer is nobody. Nobody. The role he played in the Senate, he was universally respected, but also universally liked and even adored by people who disagreed with him passionately.”
“I don’t know a single senator out of 99 other senators who didn’t genuinely like Lindsey and consider him a friend like all of them, and it was a gift,” he added.
